Through Darkness
by Nora C. Parker
Summary: A reimagining of things that occurred during Season 5. Diverges from the show storyline prior to Season 5 Episode 7, "Deal with the Devil." So, Holly and Gail haven't spoken since the fight at the Black Penny in episode 3. Perhaps, though, an incident can be the catalyst to bring them back together.
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: Rookie Blue and its characters are all owned by others. No infringement intended.

WARNING: Includes scenes of violence.

EPISODE: A reimagining of things that occurred during Season 5. Diverges from the show storyline prior to Season 5 Episode 7, "Deal with the Devil." So, Holly and Gail haven't spoken since the fight at the Black Penny in episode 3.

ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author. 

THROUGH DARKNESS

by Nora C. Parker

PROLOGUE

The woman didn't immediately realize that someone else was in the corridor. The corridor was one she walked twice a day, leading between the parking garage and her lab. Due to her habit of arriving well before the start of a shift, she missed most foot traffic. Instead, she generally made the walk by herself. On occasion, and only in passing, would she notice a few others in the dimly lit passage. Nothing about this route had ever given pause.

In an instant, that sense of security was shattered.

At first it seemed like an accident. A body brushed against her.

Seconds later she was pushed into the wall. Hard.

The air forced from her lungs, she gasped for enough breath to scream. All she could manage was a squeak.

Her brain went to basic thoughts. Get away. Run.

She tried to block out the feeling of his rough hands as he tried to force them into her coat, force them under her clothes. His weight was still pressed against her. The stench of his breath, acrid in her nose, caused her to gag.

He shifted and she found herself with room to maneuver. Pushing off from the wall, she was able to give herself clearance. In a desperate play for freedom, she took a stride and found herself pulled back by his grasp on her long hair.

Unsteady, she felt something snap in her ankle just before she was jerked off her feet, landing heavily onto her side.

The adrenaline was pushing her to flee but she knew that the way her ankle was throbbing that she would be lucky to stand. Being able to run was probably past her ability.

Taking stock of their relative positions, she reached up and grabbed at his crotch, using any strength she possessed to squeeze. He kicked at her arm. When she continued her grasp, he repeatedly stomped on her bicep. Her hand lost its grip.

Few options remained. She rolled into a fetal position, covering her head with her arms. He rained more kicks on her back.

From down the hall she heard a door opening. Once again, she tried a scream. Two hoarse croaks emerged. Then, finally, a recognizable "Help".

The kicks stopped. The sound of more footsteps. Some rushing away, some towards. A new voice, a stranger, asked if she was okay.

The tears were now flowing freely. With them came the pain.

She lay still on the dirty cement floor. The faint sound of sirens momentarily audible over the throbbing of blood in her ears.

More footsteps approaching.

Then the world went silent, and faded to black.

(to be continued…)


	2. Chapter 1

THANK YOU: To all who have begun to read this story, and especially to those who have left comments. I am always grateful to those who have taken the time.

DISCLAIMER: Rookie Blue and its characters are all owned by others. No infringement intended.

WARNING: Includes scenes of violence.

EPISODE: A reimagining of things that occurred during Season 5. Diverges from the show storyline prior to Season 5 Episode 7, "Deal with the Devil." So, Holly and Gail haven't spoken since the fight at the Black Penny in episode 3.

ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.

THROUGH DARKNESS

CHAPTER 1

The call had been for an attack a connecting corridor from the parking structure at St. Pat's. Not much more was known than that. Gail Peck and her partner for the day, Nick Collins, were the first to respond to the scene.

With the individuals who had interrupted the attack still present, Peck and Collins were able to quickly clear the scene and then move on to assess the victim. The woman lay, still, on the tile floor of the corridor. She was slight, her height difficult to determine, dark skin. Long dark hair covered her face, but once the hair was pushed back during the check of her vitals, Gail felt her stomach sink and she sucked in a deep breath.

Noting the response, Nick shot his partner a questioning look.

"She's still alive," Gail confirmed the woman's pulse. It was light, but it was present. "We need to get her help." Gail ran her fingers lightly over a bruise forming on the woman's cheek. No response to the touch. "I've met her. Her name's Rachel, she's a doctor here."

"I'm going to call the medics and then head inside; see if we can get her help faster that way."

This situation rocked Gail in a way she didn't expect. She'd found Rachel the less offensive of Holly Stewart's two friends. While Gail might have wished the women disappear from the face of the planet, she never wished either ill.

"Gail?" Nick repeated her name, trying to get her attention.

"Yeah. Go inside," she repeated, barely understanding the words. "I'll be here."

Gail removed her coat, putting it over Rachel in an effort to provide some comfort. Then she grabbed her phone and fired off a quick text.

A trauma team was already en route to the garage, alerted by one of the visitors that had passed through the corridor after the attack. As Gail continued to stay with the woman, Nick began the process of securing the scene and identifying the witnesses that would need to be interviewed.

One of the medical staff tapped Gail on the shoulder, causing the blonde woman to jump. "We've got to take her now." They secured Rachel to a backboard and cervical collar, loaded her onto a gurney, started an IV, and were ready to move.

"I'll go with." She signaled to Collins that she was heading towards the main building of the hospital. He nodded, and with that, she followed the team.

# # #

Hospital duty was nothing but one long wait outside the treatment room while the staff worked on their patient. Since arriving, Gail had checked in with the detective running the scene and passed along anything she knew thus far. She also confirmed that she was to stay and wait for a chance to question the woman, if she was conscious, and also get information from the medical team about the injuries and treatment.

So here she was, alone, in a sparse hallway. A few old, dog-eared women's magazines were on a table. Gail grabbed one and quickly threw it down upon reading the headline, "Are You Sabotaging your Relationships?" She decided to wait without any additional reading material.

After what seemed like hour, but was probably far shorter, Nick had joined her. No word yet on their victim. The team was still working, with an occasional person entering or leaving the room. The two waited, seated next to each other in uncomfortable chairs and separated by a gulf of silence.

Finally forcing herself to stand up, Gail looked over at Nick who returned her gaze with a questioning look of his own. "What?" she barked.

Most people had one of two reactions to a Peck outburst. The individual either shrank back or else took offense. Nick never seemed to do either, which Gail generally found to be a talent that she appreciated. Today, though, his even temper just made her even more annoyed.

"Do you want to talk about whatever's going on?"

"No." Enough standing. Gail sunk back into the seat. It was only a matter of time and she knew it.

Almost on cue she heard the sound of approaching steps. She turned and saw the one person she wanted to see most, and never.

Holly Stewart seemed genuinely surprised when she turned the corridor. The tall woman took a second to collect herself, the look of surprise directed at Gail becoming a hard glare.

"How's my friend?" Holly demanded. "And what are you doing about it?"

The day, as far as Gail Peck was concerned, had just taken a turn for the worse.

(to be continued…)


	3. Chapter 2

THANK YOU: To all who have begun to read this story, and especially to those who have left comments. I am always grateful to those who have taken the time. Apologies to those who think the chapters are too short. Right now, due to everyday life, my options are too short and no updates. With those two options, please accept too short.

DISCLAIMER: Rookie Blue and its characters are all owned by others. No infringement intended.

WARNING: Story includes scenes of violence.

EPISODE: A reimagining of things that occurred during Season 5. Diverges from the show storyline prior to Season 5 Episode 7, "Deal with the Devil." So at the start, Holly and Gail haven't spoken since the fight at the Black Penny in episode 3.

ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.

THROUGH DARKNESS

CHAPTER 2

"Holly." Gail hoped that keeping her tone lighter would help in this circumstance.

"What happened?" the other woman demanded, her voice rising. "The hospital called, said Rachel was here after an attack?"

That really was about the extent of what was known. "We've just started the investigation," Gail explained.

"You're investigating what? The hallway? How comfy the chairs feel?" Holly looked between Gail and Nick. "Aren't you supposed to be doing something?"

Nick stood up and diverted the attempt to draw Gail into an argument. "We're waiting to get a statement from the doctors, or from Rachel, if she's able."

As he spoke, Gail also stood and tried to direct Holly into the chair that she had just vacated. An offer that Holly fully ignored.

Instead, Holly's snapped around to look at Gail, directly meeting her gaze. "What does he mean, 'if'? Why can't she make her own statement?"

"She was unconscious when we found her," Gail explained.

"Unconscious. That means probably a head injury." Holly rubbed at her forehead as she paced a small circuit. "Of course, it could have been something else such as excessive blood loss, maybe a stabbing." She turned to Gail. "Was there a lot of blood? I can't believe I'm asking these questions about Rachel. Do you know if they've got a neurologist in to see her?"

As Gail tried to get Holly to calm down, Nick discretely answered his cell phone, and stepped away from the two women.

Remaining with Holly, realizing what this woman must be going through right now made Gail feel powerless; a feeling she would not have willingly admitted to anyone. She wanted to find a way to offer comfort, but knew that she and Holly no longer had a relationship where that would be appropriate. Instead, she went for facts. Open communication. "It looked like he beat her up, based on the scene."

"Well maybe I should go to the scene. Give them a hand with the investigation. Make sure they're collecting the right evidence."

"Holly?" Gail put a hand on the taller woman's upper arm. "Holly, please, sit."

"I can't." Holly shrugged off the touch and went back to moving. "I need to do something. I need to help."

"Anything you might find would be attacked in court as biased. You know that." Gail was firm in her statements. "Now, please, sit. Can I get you anything?"

"Yeah." Holly shook her head. "No." She slumped into the chair.

"At least you got my text to come down here." Gail's statement was more for her own benefit, as Holly appeared to sink into her own thoughts.

The "hmm?" from Holly reinforced her state.

"My text. I sent you a text. You got it, right?"

"The hospital called me. Said Rachel had been injured on the job."

"Oh." Holly had not received her message. More likely, Holly had not wanted to receive her message. Another indication of how far apart the two had become since Gail had blown up their relationship. She took a seat next to Holly. "You're blocking me." The words were ones that Gail hadn't meant to speak out loud, but she couldn't help herself.

"I'm…" It was clearly going to be an excuse. But it was also clearly the truth. "Yeah."

"Yeah."

The two sat, neither acknowledging the other's presence.

When Nick returned he got Gail's attention with a light touch on the forearm, and nodded his head indicating that they should step further down the hallway.

"Find out anything?" he asked, keeping his tone low.

So many ways to answer that question. Gail found out that her communications were being blocked by Holly. There go any thoughts of reconciliation. She realized being close to Holly again how much she wished she could have changed that night. But about the case in question? "Nothing. She was called because she's Rachel's emergency contact."

"Well, Oliver wants us to get any information from her that we can, so we can contact the victim's family, and then interview the head of hospital security."

It made sense to make use of their time. As they waited, there was no indication that they would be able to speak with Rachel's doctors anytime soon, and no idea of when they might be able to speak with Rachel. "Why don't you question Holly," Gail suggested. "I'll find the security department. Interview the manager. See if we can get any video from the garage."

"You sure?" Nick was trying to do the sensitive thing. Sometimes it even worked for him. "You can stay here, if you want."

Gail took one look back at the woman left sitting alone in the hallway. The woman that Gail really did want. As much as she wasn't known for her willingness to make physical contact with others, Holly Stewart was definitely the one person that she wanted to wrap up in her arms and comfort.

"Yeah. I think it'll be easier if I'm elsewhere." Gail didn't clarify for whom it would be easier.

The plan set, Gail headed towards the information desk to find out where to meet with security.

(to be continued…)


	4. Chapter 3

THANK YOU: To all who have begun to read this story, and especially to those who have left comments. I am always grateful to those who have taken the time. Apologies to those who think the chapters are too short. Right now, due to everyday life, my options are too short and no updates. With those two options, please accept too short.

DISCLAIMER: Rookie Blue and its characters are all owned by others. No infringement intended.

WARNING: Story includes scenes of violence.

EPISODE: A reimagining of things that occurred during Season 5. Diverges from the show storyline prior to Season 5 Episode 7, "Deal with the Devil." So at the start, Holly and Gail haven't spoken since the fight at the Black Penny in Season 5, Episode 3.

ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.

THROUGH DARKNESS

CHAPTER 3

Stepping out of the hospital's main security office, Gail ran into Steve Peck. She wasn't surprised to find that he was the lead detective assigned to the case. An attack at a city hospital was the kind of thing that would be high priority for the department, putting Steve in a position of high visibility in the Peck family.

"Any video?" Like any good Peck, Steve was all business.

"Hello, brother." Pulling out her notebook, Gail started to run down her notes as the two of them walked through the busy hallway towards the elevator bank. "They're going to pull anything they have for the garage, far back as it goes, not just today. They'll send that over by courier later today. Also, they recently outsourced management of the garage, which includes garage security, to an outside company. A place called Vetter Properties." She handed over the relevant business card, provided by hospital security.

"Good work." The two rode down to Rachel's floor in silence.

And were met outside Rachel's room with anything but silence.

"Why are you here?"

The emphasis on the pronoun coupled with the shrill sound of sarcasm informed Gail that Lisa had also arrived. Knowing that now was the time to make nice, Gail pasted on a tight smile and introduced her brother to the Plastics resident.

"Hello, Lisa." Gail kept her voice neutral. "This is Detective Peck, he's in charge of the case."

"Should have known," Lisa muttered. "A whole family of beat cops."

The generally more-composed Steve ignored the barb. "I assure you that we are taking all steps required to find the perpetrator."

Lisa's answer was a snort.

For reasons that primarily involved Holly Stewart, and with some deference to the injured woman, Gail tossed in a soft, "how's Rachel?"

The question, of course, was tantamount to waving a red flag before a bull. "She's been beat up. Her jaw's broken." Lisa's voice was rising in anger. "How do you think she is, Gail?"

Taking a lesson from her brother, Gail tried to not let the emotion show on her face. "As the Detective said, we're gathering information as quickly as we can."

"Well, let's see how you'd feel being told 'you're gathering information quickly' if you were a woman who'd been mugged at work. How would that be?"

The nastiness was beginning to weigh on Gail. Even so, she tried to empathize. "You're right, I haven't been mugged. I don't know how I'd feel."

But all empathy did was put a smug grin on Lisa's face.

Before she knew it was happening, Gail heard herself adding, "I'm more the sort of woman that you hold hostage in a basement."

The groan Steve gave in response was bad enough. But the gasp followed by "Gail" coming from a shocked Holly Stewart told Gail that she'd not only crossed the line, but that she'd picked the absolute worst time to do so. The look on Holly's face just made Gail feel worse. It was as if she had slapped the other woman.

Now was the time to remove herself from the situation before she did any further damage. "I apologize," she said in a calm voice, meeting Lisa's gaze. "That was inconsiderate."

The apology, while sincere, could not undo the words. "Steve, can you work with Collins on the interviews here? I'll check the situation in the garage."

He crossed his arms and nodded. "Good idea." No question that this would not be the last time that she heard about this incident.

Gail couldn't look back at Holly as she left. She'd seen the other woman's disappointment already, and could not bear to see it again. Instead, Gail headed back to the parking structure, wishing that she could take back yet another ten second slice of her life that involved Holly Stewart and wondering why she could never get this right.

# # #

Traci Nash was still working the scene in the corridor. "How's are victim?" she asked as Gail approached.

That information was something that Gail could not fully answer. "Besides beat up, I'm not really sure." Traci shot her a questioning look, so she tacked on a quick, "Steve's up there now. He'll have the details."

The patented Nash drawn out "Ok" followed. The two had been friends long enough that Gail could read Traci's implied 'what aren't you telling me'?

"Holly's up there," Gail explained, followed by a small shrug. "And another friend, and maybe I should just go join a convent now."

One of the Techs handed a form to Traci for her approval. Turning back to Gail, "I'm sure it wasn't that bad."

"Anyway, I need to talk to the Garage Manager. Have you seen him around?"

"Try the office." Traci pointed towards the primary entrance. "He was here earlier but I wanted to make sure he didn't contaminate the scene. I'll join you in a little bit."

Gail mumbled a quick "thanks" as she headed off, careful to avoid the areas marked out in the hallway.

She may not have Holly for her own anymore, but Gail was damned sure she wasn't going to be the cause of this case failing. Out of everything that had happened, Gail knew she couldn't stand to again be the cause of that look of disappointment that she saw on Holly's face.

(to be continued…)


	5. Chapter 4

THANK YOU: To all who have begun to read this story, and especially to those who have left comments. I am always grateful to those who have taken the time. Anything you've got to say, I'm willing to listen. Apologies in advance for timing; I've been busy but I will update as I can.

DISCLAIMER: Rookie Blue and its characters are all owned by others. No infringement intended.

WARNING: Story includes scenes of violence.

EPISODE: A reimagining of things that occurred during Season 5. Diverges from the show storyline prior to Season 5 Episode 7, "Deal with the Devil." So at the start, Holly and Gail haven't spoken since the fight at the Black Penny in Season 5, Episode 3.

ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.

THROUGH DARKNESS

CHAPTER 4

With their day's patrol finished, Gail met Nick back at the squad. Heading back through the garage from the hospital, the signs of the investigation were still in place even though most of the preliminary work from the site was completed.

"After shift, I think a few of us are going to the Penny." Nick was his usual calm self as he drove their squad through the early evening traffic.

It was a calmness that Gail was still finding irritating. "Pass." The two of them were headed back to Division for the end-of-shift debriefing.

"Look, Gail, I know you've had a tough day." Nick seemed determined to keep talking, no matter what. "I'm just saying if you want a distraction."

"A big gay distraction," Gail mumbled.

"What?"

She wasn't sure if Nick hadn't heard her or hadn't tried to hear her. Either way, Gail knew that she should have appreciated that her friend or ex-boyfriend or ex-fiancé or whatever was reaching out. But his attention was not what she was seeking. "Maybe I'll just go home."

"Then the party will follow you there. So, do you want to clean up or let the folks at the Penny take care of the mess?"

Gail snorted. "As if I clean," she scoffed.

In response Nick just laughed.

Gail narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"What? I've been there." Nick explained.

"Time to get Dov better trained." Nick did have a point, though. Maybe it was time to move out of the frat house.

"Really Nick, I've got a couple things I need to take care of after shift." Gail really didn't want to detail her plans, regardless of how understanding Nick might want to be. "Maybe I'll join you after."

Nick shrugged. "Okay."

"And I need to borrow your truck."

# # #

Debriefing was set for the Detective's office. Gail and Nick were the last to arrive, with Steve, Traci, Dov, and a few other officers who had responded to the initial call present for the briefing.

For herself, Gail was glad to see Jarvis wasn't among the group. The guy gave her the creeps. Maybe because he seemed to try to ingratiate himself with anyone named Peck whenever it appeared that it might serve his career goals by impressing the downtown Pecks.

The summary was short. Not much was known yet. Steve covered what had been done in terms of the investigation, as well as what was known about the attacks and the extent of Rachel's injuries. "I don't have to tell you that this is a high-profile matter." He crossed his arms, standing a little straighter. "The city doesn't want to give anyone the impression that its hospitals are unsafe."

Sitting beside Gail, Dov raised his hand. "But we've got nothing on motive?"

"We don't know if she was targeted, or if this was just a crime of opportunity." Steve rocked on his feet as he spoke, looking eager to continue with the case, even though it was end-of-shift for most of the uniformed staff. "Either way, we've got a lot of eyes on us, and need to shut this one down. Fast. Collins, what do we have from the victim's statement?"

"Very little." Nick glanced at his notes. "She's heavily medicated, limited in what she can say due to the jaw. Hopefully she may remember more over the next day or so. But right now, she presumes it was a guy based on the strength. Taller, maybe six foot. Didn't get a look at his face."

Steve's attention turned to his little sister. "Anything on the garage attendants?"

"They were supposed to send over their tapes."

"Got 'em," Oliver interjected from his spot at the side of the room. "It was delivered a little while ago. I've got a couple people starting the review."

"Otherwise," Gail continued, "we'll get a roster to verify that their background checks are current and we've got their work logs."

"Traci?" Steve looked to his girlfriend. "Anything to add?"

"I'll be interviewing more people tomorrow. Try to get a sense from her co-workers if there's anything that would raise red flags."

"Okay. We'll get another update after Parade tomorrow." With that, Steve dismissed the group.

Once most of the room was cleared out, Gail approached her brother. "Are you sure you need me on this one?"

"You were a first responder, Gail." He took a seat on the end of the desk, crossing his legs.

"I know, but it's weird."

"Just because it's your ex-girlfriend's friend, you can't let it be weird for you."

"Maybe there's something I can do here?"

"Nope." Steve shook his head. "You're in the field." Before Gail could form another protest he tacked on, "Superintendent Peck's orders."

"Yay, micromanagement-mommy strikes."

"See you tomorrow then." With that Gail headed for the locker room.

Only to be ambushed inside by a way too eager Chloe. "So, I've heard you're coming out with us tonight."

"Yeah, maybe." Always best to be vague when it came to discussing anything with Chloe. Gail knew that giving the woman too much information was just giving her something to fixate upon and obsess over.

"That's great, because I thought it might have been weird that you have that case with Holly. Not that it's with Holly, but that Holly's there." Chloe paused to take a breath. "Maybe I should call her Dr. Stewart. What do you think?"

"I think you're giving me a headache."

"Right. Gail who won't discuss things like feelings. So, was it good to see her?"

"No."

"No it wasn't good to see her?"

"No, I don't think you're giving me a headache. I know I have one." The benefit to Officer Price, from Gail's perspective, was that Gail had learned how to change to street clothes in record time. "Goodnight, Price."

"Sure thing," Chloe gave a tight salute, "Officer Peck."

Out in the hall, Nick was being questioned by Gerald, the rookie.

"But do you think…"

Whatever thought Gerald was trying to string together didn't seem all that important. "Nicholas, your keys."

"I never said I'd loan you my truck."

"And you never said you wouldn't," Gail countered.

"Still," Gerald interjected. "What I was saying…"

"Gerald, can't you see I'm talking to Nick?" Gail gave the young man her look of practiced boredom.

In response, Moore slunk away.

"That wasn't nice." It was a mild protest at best.

"I'm not nice." Gail stuck out her hand.

As expected, Nick handed over his keys. "Bring it by the Penny tonight."

"We'll see."

The order that Gail had called in was ready for her when she arrived at the Shanghai Palace. That part was easy.

Back at the hospital, she found Holly seated at a table in a visitor lounge. "She any better?"

Holly looked up from the journal that lay open on the table. "A little bit. She's finally sleeping. I thought I'd give her a break."

"Have you had dinner?" Gail didn't really need to ask the question. She knew Holly well enough that the last thing she'd be thinking of was herself.

"Lisa's supposed to bring something, I think, when she gets back from looking in on Rachel's dog."

"I picked up some of those noodles you like. I wasn't sure about Lisa, so I got a few extra things." She set the bag on the table, sliding it over to Holly.

"Thanks. You didn't have to."

"I know." Gail took a seat at the table. "And I know this is horrible timing, and it's been a horrible day all around, and I didn't help with some of that. But I thought maybe we could talk."

"Okay, Gail." Holly fished a couple containers out of the bag, and started to survey the contents. "As long as you don't mind if I help myself."

Gail indicated that Holly should continue with her meal.

"Fine. Let's talk."

(to be continued…)


End file.
